Cabinet having means for supporting a horizontal closure in a vertical position



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 .,M. U s O a. w m w H 0 W 3 m M m 2 z lll III B O J 1 m 0 {i -flfllflnuulliiilr L" I m MA 8 W7 WW O m z W M 4 p 4 G z 5 4 C. B. SHREVE CLOSURE IN A VERTICAL POSITION Filed Nov. 20, 1944 Jul 29, 1947.

- CABINET HAVING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A HORIZONTAL July 29, 1947. c. B. SHREVE CABINET HAVING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING .A HORIZONTAL CLOSURE IN A VERTICAL POSITION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 20, 1944 Mfovnzgg Patented July 29, 1947 CABINET -HAV-ING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A HORIZONTAL CLOSURE IN A VERTICAL POSITION Clifford B. Shreve, Niles, Mich., assignor to Tyler Fixture Corporation, Niles, Mich.,.a corporation of "Michigan Application November 20, 1944, Serial No. 564,334

5.Claims. .1

This invention relates to an open display refrigerator with a novel construction and means for closing the refrigerator when not in-use, and for opening it for display of its contents when in use in a store, the door being movable out of the way and housed from sight, and with a novel means for reflecting, by means of a mirror, the refrigerator contents when opened, the reflecting mirror being movable out of the way in moving the door from open to closed position and vice versa.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section through the display refrigerator, the lower portion thereof being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a viewsomewhat similar to Fig. 1,, the upper portion in addition being broken away, with the refrigerator closed instead of open as in Fig. 1 and the structure including the mirror shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking downwardly, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the plane of line l-4 of Fig. 2 also looking in a downward direction.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

In the refrigerator construction a refrigerator body I, having heavily insulated walls, is provided which is open at its upper side, the interior space 2 extending downwardly into the body of the refrigerator. When the refrigerator is in .use the space 2 is open at its upper end, the refrigerated products to be sold being readily observed from above, and they are refrigerated from below, being kept at a desired low temperature even though the upper end of the space 2 is uncovered.

Extending above the upper end of the refrigerator is a superstructure made substantially from sheet metal, having vertical back 3 substantially alined with the back of the refrigerator, and with a horizontal top 4 and ends 5 which may be turned inwardly at right angles at their front and rear edges providing rear flanges 6 and front flanges 8, the back 3 adjacent the ends being shaped into a channel form as indicated at l for a purpose later appearing. At its front edge the top 4 is turned downwardly in a vertical direction and connected with the front vertical flanges '8 which provides an open rectangular frame for the reception of a mirror or panel 9 for advertising. Back of the panel 9 a vertical plate l0 extends downwardy terminating a distance above the top of the body of the refrigerator l, as shown in Fig. l, at'the front side of whichback of the lower edges of the panel 9 a tubular light ll is -.mounted. At the inner side of the plate It! a second tubular light I2 is mounted, on suitable brackets l3 secured to the rear side of the plate as shown. Also-at the front side of the plate 10 a plurality of parallel horizontal guides M are secured adapted to receive advertising or display cards or price lists giving information to the buying public.

A vertical channel guide I5 is mounted on the inner side of each end 5 of the superstructure, providing guides for vertical bars it. Each of the bars 16 adjacent its lower end has an inwardly extending pin I! connected therewith on which are mounted bracket l8 of angle form,

said brackets in turn being connected to a 'door l9 which is the closure for the upper open end of the refrigerator. The brackets 18 are connected to the door l9 adjacent each-end and intermediate its opposite side edges. It is preferred that this pivotal connection be located at one side of the middle of the door so-that the door will assume, under the influence of gravity, a generally vertical position when elevated. Said brackets may be turned about the common axis of-the two pins [1. A cable 20 is connected with .each of the pins l1 and extends upwardly over pulleys 2| located adjacent the upper ends of the guides l5 and like rear pulleys 22 located at the backof the superstructure and carried by suitable brackets. The pulleys 22 at each end of the case are fixed to a shaft 22a which extends between them so that the door will move evenly. The cables extend over said pulleys and downwardly into the channels 1 with counter-weights 23 connected at their lower ends for counterbalancing the weight of the door.

It is apparent that, as in Fig. 2, the door or closure l9 may be moved into a position to extend horizontally across the upper open end of the opening 2, sealing and closing it. Also that the door and the attached slides l6 may be elevated and the door turned to a vertical position and left so as to lie back of the front plate H] as in Fig. 1, the weights 23 substantially balancing the weight of the door l9 and attached parts. The door remains in either position which moved due to inertia, and friction of pulleys 2| and 22 resisting movement sufliciently to retain the door in either position.

At the upper side of the refrigerator l and .back

of the merchandise receiving space 2 therein a plate 24 faced with a mirror 25 at its outer side is carried by a frame 26 to the back of which angle plates 21, notched at their lower end, are secured, the notches receiving the vertical legs of supporting members 28 connected at the upper side of the refrigerator body I. This permits a swinging movement of the structure including the mirror 25 from its rear position in Fig. 2 where it bears at its upper edge against the back 3 to its forward position partly over the open upper end of the space 2, shown in Fig. 1, in which position the frame is brought against stops 29 connected to the superstructure as shown.

When the refrigerator is in use in a store, the door closure I9 is first moved from the position superstructure, and weights secured to the other shown in Fig. 2 to that in Fig. 1 uncovering the interior space 2 of the refrigerator. And thereafter the mirror member is turned from the position in Fig. 2 to that in Fig. 1, bringing the mirror 25 in place to reflect the contents Within the refrigerator. When the refrigerator is closed the mirror and its mounting frame are turned to the position in Fig. 2, the door lowered, swung to horizontal and brought into closing position.

The construction described is very practical and effective and has proved exceptionally satisfactory in service. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered com prehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator having a contents-receiving space therein open at the upper side of the refrigerator, a superstructure connected to and extending above the refrigerator having a back, top and spaced ends and a front extending from the forward portion of the top downwardly toward but terminating a distance above the upper side of the refrigerator, guides located substantially in vertical position one at the inner side of each end of the superstructure, bars slidably mounted in said guides for movement in upward and downward directions therein, a closure mounted adjacent its ends and between its front and rear edges for turning movement about a horizontal axis at the lower ends of said bars, and means counterbalancing the weight of said closure and bars whereby the bars and closure may be moved upwardly within said superstructure back of the front thereof with the closureturned to a substantially vertical position, or moved downwardly and the closure turned to a horizontal position and located over the open upper end of said refrigerator.

ends of said cables.

3. A construction as defined in claim 4, and a frame located above the upper side of said refrigerator and in back of said opening, means for tiltingly mounting the frame to tilt about a horizontal axis, and stops carried by said superstructure forward of the upper portion of the frame to hold said frame in an upwardly and forwardly tilting position partly over the open upper end of the refrigerator and in the upward path of said closure, said frame when tilted to the rear being out of the path of said closure.

4; A cabinet comprising a compartment open at its upper side, a normally horizontal closure for said open upper side, a. superstructure including a vertical front terminating at its lower edge a considerable distance above the upper side of the compartment, vertical guide means located behind said front, a supporting member traversably mounted in said guide means, means for connecting said closure to said supporting member for rotation on a horizontal axis whereby said closure may be rotated into a vertical plane and elevated to a position behind said front and means for supporting said closure in said elevated position;

5. The elements of claim 4 in which the lower end of said guide means does not project below said front and said supporting element is below said guide means when in lowered position.

' CLIFFORD B. SHREVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Switzerland June 16, 1936 

